The Shame of College Sports

[Nidaros]

Re: The Shame of College Sports

Sorry Nidaros, I must disagree. UNL exists to educate young Nebraskans and others. To pass knowledge and understanding on. Even through their athletic program, as is also the case at State, knowledge and understanding of ideas and values is being disseminated. It just so happens that a large number of people also like to watch the athletic events as compared to say a chemistry lab exercise (seems strange to me too). In both cases though we see the students participating are either paying for the privilege or are receiving scholarship monies to pay for this privilege. There is no direct payment to the student to either play football or study chemistry. Nor should there be.

I flat disagree with many of Friedman's theories about the market forces and their impact and we will leave it at that. In theory athletes are not paid, but back in the Bo Jackson era it was not uncommon for 100 dollar bills to be left under dorm doors of certain athletes who performed well on the field the past Saturday. Isn't this what the Altantic article is about? I need to take time and read it.

[filbert]

Re: The Shame of College Sports

I flat disagree with many of Friedman's theories about the market forces and their impact and we will leave it at that. In theory athletes are not paid, but back in the Bo Jackson era it was not uncommon for 100 dollar bills to be left under dorm doors of certain athletes who performed well on the field the past Saturday. Isn't this what the Altantic article is about? I need to take time and read it.

Actually, what goes on in college athletics represents the absence of a real market--what market still exists is distorted almost beyond recognition by the most powerful players (the BCS schools, mainly) who write and re-write the rules for their own benefit at the expense of the industry as a whole, including and especially the student-athletes.

If I think about the situation too much, I begin thinking that a European-style club system of athletics, essentially a "separation of Athletics and Education" so to speak, playing off the "separation of church and state" concept, would be a healthier system for everybody involved. The education goal of a university distorts the athletic market beyond recognition, and the athletic goals of the "major" colleges also tends to distort the national higher education market in a myriad of ways, some more obvious than others (the most obvious being the utterly spurious labeling of colleges that play big-time D-I athletics as "major" colleges, as opposed to colleges like the University of Chicago, MIT, Carnegie-Mellon, and Cal Tech, which are not "major colleges"--athletically, anyway.)

[Prairiehaas]

Re: The Shame of College Sports

Ask the AD at Boise State whether there is a free market in college athletics.

I agree with Filbert here, and it has nothing to do with any ideology related to the Austrian vs Keynsian schools of economics. The problems seen in college athletics stems from the huge money that can be made in marketing associated with athletics. This tempts programs to win at all costs with student athletes becoming disposable when their ability to play is lost either through injury or ineligibility. Paying the students to play is not the answer because not all programs can afford that, just look at SDSU compared to NDSU. A pay to play plan would give SDSU incentive to reduce the number of programs in order to level the playing field between the schools.

[Nidaros]

Re: The Shame of College Sports

Ask the AD at Boise State whether there is a free market in college athletics.

I agree with Filbert here, and it has nothing to do with any ideology related to the Austrian vs Keynsian schools of economics. The problems seen in college athletics stems from the huge money that can be made in marketing associated with athletics. This tempts programs to win at all costs with student athletes becoming disposable when their ability to play is lost either through injury or ineligibility. Paying the students to play is not the answer because not all programs can afford that, just look at SDSU compared to NDSU. A pay to play plan would give SDSU incentive to reduce the number of programs in order to level the playing field between the schools.

Sorry guys, I was trying to make this into an ideological warfare. I have called off my dogs and the points made by Atlantic, Filbert and Prarie Haas do make sense. Have a good day.

[zooropa]

Re: The Shame of College Sports

a "separation of Athletics and Education"

It wouldn't work.

What would happen is that, say, Michigan, Michigan State and Ohio State would all have 'club' football programs, and those club football programs would play each other in front of ever increasing crowds, and BAM, you'd have the same situation all over again.

You might place some well meant restrictions on coaching, player activity, etc., but gradually those restrictions would be eroded and you'd be right back where you are now---and probably with even less oversight.

The solution is not to get rid of the NCAA, and the solution is not to get rid of college athletes; both of these things have grown organically, and represent--effectively--the will of the people.

The solution is to figure out the best way of correcting the most inequitable and ridiculous flaws in the system, and accept whatever new problems these solutions create.

[filbert]

Re: The Shame of College Sports

It wouldn't work.

What would happen is that, say, Michigan, Michigan State and Ohio State would all have 'club' football programs, and those club football programs would play each other in front of ever increasing crowds, and BAM, you'd have the same situation all over again.

You might place some well meant restrictions on coaching, player activity, etc., but gradually those restrictions would be eroded and you'd be right back where you are now---and probably with even less oversight.

The solution is not to get rid of the NCAA, and the solution is not to get rid of college athletes; both of these things have grown organically, and represent--effectively--the will of the people.

The solution is to figure out the best way of correcting the most inequitable and ridiculous flaws in the system, and accept whatever new problems these solutions create.

Yeah, I know. *sighs heavily, shakes head*

Every possible solution carries within it the seeds of the next problem . . .

[Nidaros]

Re: The Shame of College Sports

Yeah, I know. *sighs heavily, shakes head*

Every possible solution carries within it the seeds of the next problem . . .

Well said.